Planetary gearsets are employed in various automatic transmissions to produce multiple gear ratios by selectively engaging and disengaging clutches used to connect and release connections among various gearset components. Additional gear ratios are also achieved by selectively engaging and disengaging brakes, which hold selective gearset components against rotation or release them for rotation. Generally, as the number of speed ratios produced by the transmission increases, so does the number of clutches and brakes needed to control the transmission. Increasingly larger numbers of gear ratios are being demanded out of a transmission while, at the same time, it is also desired to minimize the overall package size of the transmission so the transmission will still fit into a relatively small motor vehicle. Obviously, these two goals generally work against each other. Previous attempts to solve this problem have mainly been directed at increasing the number of ratios a transmission can produce, while minimizing the number of brakes and clutches used in the transmission in order to control the axial length and other dimensions of the transmission. In addition, when considering a transmission redesign, it is also important to limit the rotational speed of the gearing components. For example, pinion gears often rotate at five to seven times the engine speed, which can lead to reduced service life of the bearings supporting the pinion gears. Generally speaking, there is considered to be a give and take between at least the number of available gear ratios, required gear rotational speeds, size and the overall reliability of the transmission.
Based on the above, there is a need in the art for a transmission which exhibits an overall short axial length, has no particular gearing component rotating at an excessive speed, and still provides a large number of gear ratios.